Can closing machine



May 10, 1949. R. E. J. NORDQUIST CAN CLOSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 3, 1945 7%2/W 7%M4 Z ATTORNEYS May 10, 1949. R. E. J.NORDQUIST 2,469,401

CAN CLOSING MACHINE I Filed Dec. 3, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 I 36 I f Z73; 34 E /5 /7 D ,4

.JL-! Z4 Z6 53 H 2 I5 n 17 55 1 INVENTOR.

l 1 fi/mmi ATTORNEYS y R. E. J. NORDQUIST I 2,469,401

CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1945 5 Shets-Sheet s INVENTOR Ma a. 712232? ATTORNEYS Patented May 10, 1949 CAN CLOSING MACHINE Ronald E. J.Nordquist, Maplewood, N. J assignor to American Can Company, New York,N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 3, 1945, SerialNo. 632,292

2 Claims.

This invention relates to can closing machines and the like and hasparticular reference to can and cover feeding devices for bringingindividual covers gradually into parallel and registered position on afilled can while it is being fed along a straight line path of travelpreparatory to sealing, thereby preventing spilling of fluid contents ofthe can.

In the usual form of cover feeding devices, covers are delivered to anassembly station in elevated position above the can and assembly isaccomplished by lifting the can to meet the cover. During this liftingaction of the can spilling of its contents frequently occurs.

The present invention contemplates overcoming these diificulties byfeeding filled cans along a substantially straight line path of travelin a horizontal plane to an assembly station. Can covers for theindividual cans are fed from a different source along a curved path oftravel and are cammed down gradually to the plane of the top of anadvancing can while coming into alignment with the can, the can coverand the can meeting at an assembly station whereupon both can and covermove together along a straight line path of travel to a sealing station.

An object of the invention is the provision in a can closing machine, ofa can feed-in device for propelling filled cans to be sealed along astraight line path of travel toward a sealing mechanism and of a cancover feeding device for advancing can covers along a curved path oftravel such cover feeding devices bringing individual covers intoparallel and registered position onto moving cans so that both can andcover thereafter move along a straight line of travel as an incident tosealing, such can movement being without spilling of any fluid contentsfrom the can.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a machine of thecharacter described having can and cover feeding devices, of stationarymeans in the cover feed for shifting the can covers from their curvedpath of travel into a straight line path of travel Where the coversadvance parallel to and in registration with the filled and moving cans,a registered can and cover being clamped together just prior to sealingwhereby spilling of fluid contents of the cans is prevented.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which,-takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: p r

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional plan view showing the importantparts of a can closing machine embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines2-2 and 33 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 inFig. 1 looking in the 0pposite direction to that indicated by thearrows.

As a preferred embodiment of the present invention the drawings disclosethe important parts of a high speed can closing machine wherein anindividual can cover is fed into parallel and registered position onto afilled and moving can, so that the can and cover may thereafter movealong a straight line path of travel while being clamped together as aunit for introduction into a pocket of a rotatable turret which may be apart of a sealing mechanism for such a can and cover.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a filled can A is shownas being introduced into the machine by a feed-in conveyor ll operatingin a groove l2 of a conveyor table It. The conveyor H has a plurality ofspaced and laterally extending feed arms l4 which engage the side wallsof the cans and advance them along the conveyor table 113 in propersequence for assembly with individual covers B at an assembly station C.The conveyor Il may be driven in any suitable manner from the present orfrom an adjacent machine.

The assembly station C is located slightly in advance of a can and coversealing station D on the straight line path of travel of the movingcans. As a filled can A moves toward station C, the can enters into oneof a plurality of turret pockets l5 of a rotatable turret I6. Therepreferably are six pockets in the turret. The cans A are in the turretpockets when assembling, clamping and sealing of the cans with theirrespective covers take place.

The heavy arrows extending in a straight line from right to'left in Fig.1 indicate the path of the incoming can. The light curved arrows showthe path of the cover. These paths intersect on the center line of theassembly station C and the curved path terminates. Thence from thecenter line of the assembly station C to the center line of the sealingstation D a continuation of the straight path of the heavy arrow thenindicates the joint aligned path of travel of both can and cover.

The turret i6 is secured to a hollow sleeve I! of a rotary member l8(Fig. 3). This sleeve is mounted on a vertical shaft 22. Shaft 22 isjournaled in suitable bearings in the lower part of the machine which,for the purpose of this invention need not be shown. This shaft may beoperated in any convenient manner from its lower end and rotates theturret l6 and the rotary member I8 in unison and in proper time with the.;conveyor "1].

The covers B are ied individually toward "the station C for assemblywith the respective cans A by a cover feed turret 23 (Fig. 1). Such aturret is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 24 journaled in abearing 25 of the machine. Shaft 24 may be driven in any:suitab1e.manner in time with the conveyor 1 I and with-the s'ha'ft The rotatableturret it receives and supports both the filled cans A and (the covers Band carries them through the seaming operation. For this purpose, turretIt has a lower horizontal web 26 and an upper l'horizontal web v21. Thepockets it are located :in :the lower web 126. "Pockets .15 are formed:by vtsemi-icircular openings 28 partially'surroundedxbysetbackverticalwalls 3-2. This produces ;a:semi-;cir,cular support:ledge .da'forzeach pocket. -Such'a, ledge serves tolocate and tosupport the filled cans A initially-in its turret pocket.

The .upper horizontal .web '21 .is formed with semi-circularpockets E l.Each pockettl .is in axial alignment with .:a turret pocket i115. Pocket:34 is;partial1y surrounded-by: asemi-circular. ledge :35. Such a ledgeis cut backsufiiciently for-entrance of 'a cover B superimposed on a can:flang E -formed on the upper end of the filled can A -('F. 1'g. 3).

The cover -feed turret 23 hereinbefore mentioned also has :a pluralityof :spaced .zsemicircular pockets 36. There are;preferably-si-x suchpockets. A pocket [36 is brought into register with a correspondingpocket 31% when a filledcan Aand its superimposedcover B aredeliveredinto sealing-position at station D (Figs. '1 ,andi3) Itisatthis time that the pockets 3d, 36 cooperate to enci-rclethe-outerperiphery of the-cover B so that .it :is aligned 'onto theflange E of @the can incidental to a sealing operation.

Preparatory to the covers reaching the cans, they are separated inconventional manner from a suitable source of supply and then-areadvanced by the turret secured in the turret back "of each pocket 36.These fingers extend up to engage and to advance the cover which-isdirectlyabove but not yet-into the corresponding turret .pocket.

The .covers'B arersupported,whilerbeing-so adyanced, in a stationarycover carrying segment plate .38 mounted :on the machine mainframe. This.segment plate is located above the turrets it and 23 and above theconveyor H (Figs. .1 and 2).. The-segment plate ,is formed with :a track42 on its under surface and such .a track includes inner and outersupporter cover carrying ledges 1 33, M. This support trackJmay"beformed "separately or as :an integral part of ft-he segment plate 38.

The inner and ,outer-supportledges 43, Materminate :adjacent theassembly station -C :in roundedand gradually sloping edges :45, :46:(Figs. 1 and 2). It is'overthese edges that the peripheral edge of eachcover 3 passes as it descends 1 into the turret pocket and thence ontoa;fi1led canAxat'th-e assembly station C.

As the cover B descends into the :position just :described .at stationTC, a .can knockout 41 moves :down, engages the itop :of=1the-;cover andA feed finger 'or stud '31 .is

. member l8 and includes a seaming chuck 52 and 1a \coacting seamingroller 53 operable against the chuck for a seaming operation.

.Thermovement'of the cover B up to this time has been along asubstantially circular path of travel-while that-of'the filled can hasbeen along .a substantiallystraight line path of travel. It is desirousand also the purpose of this invention to change the path of travel ofthe cover at this point so that it moves in the straight path withthe-advancing can. This is done by .a :shifting of rthe .coverIBoutwardly relative to the center .of the rotating turret :23, the coverremaining .in the :turret ;pocket 36. There :is no pause in the .coveror can-advancement from the assembly station; C :to the sealing station.D.

:Innrder to effect t'his change in travel during the advancement of thecover B, the terminal end of-the track 32 in the segment plate-38 is soshaped -.as atfid, to shift 'or-camthecover into .the 'desired straightline path of travel. This is best illustrated in ,Fig. 1 ofthe-drawings.

During advancement toward station .D the cover is held onto theoan bythe can knockout 4'1. The-can andits'cover are only vmomentarily on theturret ledge '33 :prior to being :lifted and rotated forzseaming as willnow'be. described.

.Preparatory to the sealing operation, the -can and .cover :-are tightlyclamped :together and are liftedzintossealing position. This isaccomplished by-arotatableplungertli -(-Fig. 3 which is operated in timewith other moving parts of the machine. Thereare six such plungers, vonefor each .of the turret pockets. Plunger 55 moves .up and. engageswithin thecountersunk bottom of the can A to center the-canand to liftittogether withthe-coverB and'also the knockout 41. This.tightlyzclarnps thecan and cover between the can knockout andthe-plunger which move up as .a unit -.until the cover B .is against theseaming chuck .52. Can and cover thereupon rotate at high speed through:the driving action of the seaming chuck 52. The seaming roller 53 movesin eat :the proper time -.to effect the seaming operation in the usualmanner.

The seaming operation-is carried out while the turret 4.6 is rotated.Can and cover upon being sealed are lowered and discharged from themachine. Other -filled cans and covers then enter into-theYemptiedturret pocket I15 and the cycle of operation is repeated.

.Itris :thought that the invention and :many of .itszattendantadvantages will :be understoodirom theforegoingdescription, and itwill.be apparent that-Narious lchanges maybe :made in the'form, ennstructionand arrangement of the parts without departing from ithe spirit andscope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages,the form hereinbefore described be- :ing merely a preferred embodimentthereof.

1. In a can closing machine for sealing "covers onto -filledcans, thecombination of a rotatable sealing turret having spaced peripheralpockets for receiving cans and "covers for sealing, a can feed-in devicefor propelling filled cans along a straight line path of travel towardsaid sealing turret and for introducing them into said sealing turretpockets, a can cover feeding device for advancing can covers along acurved path of travel and for introducing a can cover into a sealingturret pocket in a position above a can received in said pocket, meansfor moving an advancing can cover out of its curved path of travel andinto a straight line path of travel in alignment with the straight linepath of travel of the moving cans, and means disposed adjacent the pathof travel of said covers for supporting and gradually lowering thealigned advancing cover to position it on said received and pocketed canfor retaining the fluid contents in the can during further movement.

2. In a can closing machine for sealing covers onto filled cans, thecombination of a rotatable sealing turret having spaced peripheralpockets for receiving cans and covers for sealing, a can feed-in devicefor propelling filled cans along a straight line path of travel towardsaid sealing turret and for introducing a can cover into a sealingturret pocket in a position above a can received in said pocket, meansfor moving an advancing can cover out of its curved path of REFERENCESCITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,581,201 Guether Apr. 20, 19261,895,184 Douglass Jan. 24, 1933 2,344,546 Krueger Mar. 21, 19442,345,870 Guenther Apr. 4, 1944 2,371,186 Renard Mar. 13, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 248,462 Great Britain Mar, 4, 1926

